What? Who? When? Where? How?

Transcription

1 Who? What? When? Where? How?

2 WHO As she stands at the window wiping tears from her eyes, a mother feels relief watching her child play with friends outside. Not long before, that same mother would never have considered this scenario. Her child s asthma was out of control and, being outside for long would have caused an asthma flare that could have endangered his life. Whether it s a child kept inside because the last emergency room visit is still fresh in the parent s mind, or an adult who knows that going outside will cause an asthma flare, the result is the same. There is a barrier between them and the world; between them and the joys of a normal life. Parents live on the edge of panic as they watch their child struggle to breathe. Adults live in fear of the next asthma attack. Life is just one long list of don ts: don t run, don t go outside, don t have pets, don t, don t, don t. Knowledge opens the door and frees people with asthma to lead a normal life. Armed with knowledge, they can obtain the right medications, understand what triggers their asthma attacks, and take steps to prevent them.

3 Why? What is Asthma Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways. It is partly genetic; partly a response to environmental factors. It can be triggered by a number of environmental elements, including: Smoking Pets Allergies Exercise Respiratory infections Hormones Stress Medications Each patient is different, and therefore each person s triggers are different. By understanding and controlling the triggers, people with asthma can prevent serious asthma flares and hospitalizations.

4 Learning takes place everywhereso we need to be able to market anywhere

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6 Another WHY Asthma Impact Michigan has become an increasingly challenging place for people with asthma. The consequences of uncontrolled asthma can be fatal. One hundred fifty people in Michigan die from asthma each year. Asthma also extracts an enormous financial toll: The average hospitalization for asthma costs over $10,000. Every day in America: 44,000 people have an asthma attack. 36,000 kids miss school due to asthma. 27,000 adults miss work due to asthma. 4,700 people visit the emergency room due to asthma. 1,200 people are admitted to the hospital due to asthma. 9 people die from asthma. The total direct cost of asthma in Michigan is more than 224 million dollars, with indirect costs of an additional 170 million dollars.

7 Who It Affects and How If asthma was the only challenge experienced by our patients, our job would be much easier. However, that is not the case. Some children and many adults don t receive the medicines needed to control their symptoms because they are uninsured. Sometimes the parents are unemployed, and have no money to pay for doctor s visits. Sometimes parents do not understand how to administer the medications. Other patients live in buildings infested with cockroaches, mold and other allergens that trigger asthma attacks. Asthma affects people of all races, but tends to strike very hard in the inner city, especially among the African American and Hispanic populations, which suffer from a disproportionate burden of the disease. This creates a vicious cycle, in which people are brought to the emergency room when their asthma flares are lifethreatening. They can end up spending several days in the hospital, get the symptoms under control, and then return home only to have the cycle repeat itself. More than 80% of the patients we see for asthma are also experiencing a host of complicating factors such as poverty, unemployment and mental health issues.

8 Marketing to the families teachers Asthma affects people of all ages, and the Genesee County Asthma Network works with people of all ages. However, we focus much of our effort on children. Why focus on children? Asthma hits children the hardest. Asthma is the leading cause of preventable hospitalizations in children. Children can learn life changing new behaviors. We can teach children how to manage their asthma while they are young. This will have a lifelong positive impact on their quality of life.

9 Who else? Physicians and physician staff Insurance companies Hospital staff and case managers Resources in the community housing, etc.

10 What Our Patients Say The Genesee County Asthma Network brings healing and freedom to people with asthma. There is no way to put a price tag on the precious quality of life that is regained when asthma does not rule a child s life. Whole families benefit when their children with asthma start playing sports, sleeping through the night, and engaging in normal childhood activities. Children who had resigned themselves to watching life from the sidelines delight in the joys of summer camp, playing with the neighbors, and feeling like a normal kid.

11 Community Benefit We have proven that asthma control offers a guaranteed return on investment. It costs approximately $2,500 to provide one year of home based patient education and reinforcement, compared to the $10,000 cost of one preventable hospitalization. Our extended program of education and case management reduces hospitalizations by 40%. We have shown that case management reduces emergency room visits by 25%. GCAN has developed a partnership between grassroots asthma coalitions and managed care plans, who have acknowledged that the services of GCAN could reduce the cost of asthma treatment.

12 Control Asthma! Asthma can be controlled with medications and with knowledge. Efforts to control asthma and keep it well controlled require ordinary self management strategies, but the rewards are extraordinary. Shouldn t everyone with asthma have the chance for a normal life? Famous people like Bill Clinton, Elizabeth Taylor and Kristi Yamaguchi didn t let their asthma slow them down.

13 Jan Roberts RN AE-C Hurley Medical Center Genesee County Asthma Network